Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $774 in Madaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,360 in Madaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,946 in Madaba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 193% more expensive than in Madaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Madaba is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$5.70 JOD 4.03

207.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$49.91 JOD 35.32

29.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.18 JOD 4.37

88.51%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.45 JOD 2.44

-5.51%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.15

$0.61 JOD 0.44

308.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.60 JOD 0.42

178.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.35 JOD 3.08

-20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$6.89 JOD 4.87

-48.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.43 JOD 1.01

-17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.68 JOD 0.48

186.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.51 JOD 1.07

3.31%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.71 JOD 1.21

134.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$4.20 JOD 2.97

215.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.77 JOD 4.08

45.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.61 JOD 8.92

44.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.46 JOD 1.74

-5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.45 JOD 1.02

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.83 JOD 1.30

5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.68 JOD 0.48

288.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.68 JOD 0.48

179.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.69 JOD 0.49

205.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.34 JOD 0.24

323.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.58 JOD 0.41

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.09 JOD 1.48

235.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$21.56 JOD 15.26

-72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$5.29 JOD 3.75

-74.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$5.00 JOD 3.54

-57.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.89 JOD 0.63

167.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$71.7 JOD 50.7

-35.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.64 JOD 0.45

554.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.38 JOD 0.98

-20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.12 JOD 5.04

142.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.36 JOD 0.96

65.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K €29.7K

$35.8K JOD 25.3K

-3.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.1K JOD 24.8K

18.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$171 €147

$71.3 JOD 50.5

139.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.01 €16.38

$14.19 JOD 10.04

33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$21.40 JOD 15.14

60.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$27.90 JOD 19.74

77.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$69.7 JOD 49.30

-71.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$11.22 JOD 7.94

-9.98%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$699 €603

$41.55 JOD 29.40

1582.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$9,350 JOD 6,617

90.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$64.7 JOD 45.79

61.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$55.6 JOD 39.34

-13.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$69.8 JOD 49.40

45.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$42.41 JOD 30.02

202.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$208 JOD 147

700.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$42.78 JOD 30.27

2771.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$424 JOD 300

587.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$210 JOD 149

861.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$494 JOD 350

227.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.81

-44.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Madaba: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $208 in Madaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 228% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Madaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $236 per month, with Madaba cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Madaba differ by about 193% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $774 including rent). Madaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $208 in Madaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $41.55 in Madaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Madaba versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madaba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Madaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Madaba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Madaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.